With the zootierliste expanding to worldwide the other day, everyone is rushing to input data for American (and other!) zoos. The problem we're running into is ztl uses subspecies, and a lot of the information being put in is incorrect on that level. I wanted to make this thread so that people can post information they're aware of and hopefully keep others from trying to "correct" it or further inputting incorrect data.
I've put this in general discussion, rather than North America/USA, because I know a lot of Europeans are working on it as well, and some of the issues are arising from that. An example being harbor seals were input as European, but almost all (or entirely all?) of our harbor seals are rescues and are either Western Atlantic or are Pacific, depending on location (and location of the facility doesn't always indicate which subspecies it is!).
Unlike Europe, most zoos do not sign animals to subspecies level, even if they are a known subspecies.
Note that this all applies to current holdings and may not apply to former, especially ones that are many decades ago!
Here's a few examples:
Cheetahs - According to the studbook, even if a subspecies is not listed for an individual in the USA, they are all to be treated as Southeast African, A. j. jubatus. They should not be listed as no subspecies or anything else unless it's a historical listing and you can confirm.
Tigers - There are no pure Bengals in the USA, they are all hybrids. Anything labelled as a subspecies outside of AZA/managed populations is questionable. Fluffier doesn't always mean it's a pure Amur.
Leopards - Same as tigers, but replace Bengal with African. Anything labelled as a subspecies outside of AZA/managed populations is questionable. Fluffier doesn't always mean it's a pure Amur.
Lions - The AZA program is pure ssp, but those outside of it likely aren't.
Coati - There's no mountain coati in the USA. Ones signed/USDA'd as such are often South American, but not always! I have personally seen/confirmed some as being white-nosed!
Plains Zebra - these are a mess and most are hybrids, if not all. Plenty of zoos, especially outside of AZA, will sign theirs as a subspecies, but there is little truth to those.
Giraffes - Other than Masai, giraffes in the USA are all hybrids; there currently are no pure reticulated. There's possibly one or two Rothschild's left at SDZSP, but that is likely it.
Bison - All in the USA are Plains, except for a possible couple of holders of Woods in Alaska. Even if they have some cattle blood, they are treated as Plains.
Night Monkeys - also a mess, and also often signed incorrectly (if signed at a species level at all). USDA can't be trusted on this, either, as the species all look extremely similar; they're likely picking something at random. I've spoken to a few owners outside of AZA and they didn't know there are multiple species, even.
I've put this in general discussion, rather than North America/USA, because I know a lot of Europeans are working on it as well, and some of the issues are arising from that. An example being harbor seals were input as European, but almost all (or entirely all?) of our harbor seals are rescues and are either Western Atlantic or are Pacific, depending on location (and location of the facility doesn't always indicate which subspecies it is!).
Unlike Europe, most zoos do not sign animals to subspecies level, even if they are a known subspecies.
Note that this all applies to current holdings and may not apply to former, especially ones that are many decades ago!
Here's a few examples:
Cheetahs - According to the studbook, even if a subspecies is not listed for an individual in the USA, they are all to be treated as Southeast African, A. j. jubatus. They should not be listed as no subspecies or anything else unless it's a historical listing and you can confirm.
Tigers - There are no pure Bengals in the USA, they are all hybrids. Anything labelled as a subspecies outside of AZA/managed populations is questionable. Fluffier doesn't always mean it's a pure Amur.
Leopards - Same as tigers, but replace Bengal with African. Anything labelled as a subspecies outside of AZA/managed populations is questionable. Fluffier doesn't always mean it's a pure Amur.
Lions - The AZA program is pure ssp, but those outside of it likely aren't.
Coati - There's no mountain coati in the USA. Ones signed/USDA'd as such are often South American, but not always! I have personally seen/confirmed some as being white-nosed!
Plains Zebra - these are a mess and most are hybrids, if not all. Plenty of zoos, especially outside of AZA, will sign theirs as a subspecies, but there is little truth to those.
Giraffes - Other than Masai, giraffes in the USA are all hybrids; there currently are no pure reticulated. There's possibly one or two Rothschild's left at SDZSP, but that is likely it.
Bison - All in the USA are Plains, except for a possible couple of holders of Woods in Alaska. Even if they have some cattle blood, they are treated as Plains.
Night Monkeys - also a mess, and also often signed incorrectly (if signed at a species level at all). USDA can't be trusted on this, either, as the species all look extremely similar; they're likely picking something at random. I've spoken to a few owners outside of AZA and they didn't know there are multiple species, even.
I actually strongly suspect that the former holding at Zoo Halle in Germany belonged to this subspecies too.
if memory serves me correctly the individual in question was initially held at Smithsonian but later moved to Bronx, where it died.
